Sadiron



Julie 30, 1942 N. T. ALMQUIST ET A1. 2,288,175

SADIRON Filed NOV. l2, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet l PAUL J E.

June 30, 1942. N. T. ALMQUIST ET AL 2,288,175

SADIRON Filed NOV. l2, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 MLS TALMQ Ufs' PA UL 555522@3343 ADLLW LMA/J Patented June 30, 1942 SADIRON Nils T. Almquist andPaul J. Kircher, New Britain, Conn., assignors to Landers, Frary &Clark, New Britain, Conn., a corporation of Connecticut ApplicationNovember 12, 1940, Serial No. 365,278

(Cl. D-138) 19 Claims.

The present invention relates to electric irons and more particularly tothose of the household type including a thermal operated switch adaptedto make and break the circuit through the heating unit and thus controlthe temperature of the iron.

Heretofore it has been common with such irons to provide means forvarying the setting of the thermal operated switch; these means beingoperable from the exterior of the iron and usually comprising a manuallyrotatable member which when rotated to Various indicated positionswould, through interconnecting mechanism, vary the setting of theswitch.

It is known that the usual household type of iron is rather consistentlyused for specific types of materials; those materials, more specically,being rayon, silk, wool, cotton, and linen, and, considering them in theorder named, each material requires a successively higher heat. Therotatable control member heretofore used is graduated to adjust theswitch to obtain such successively higher heats, but the difliculty isthat the rotatable member cannot be adjusted to any xed predeterminedsetting for each heat, and thus if the control member was set for silkit might be so positioned that the temperature would be either on thelow or high side thereof, and thus best ironing results would not be obetained. Another difficulty of the above-indicated arrangement of manualcontrol member is that during the assembly of the iron or in usethereafter it may not be accurately positioned, and thus incorrectindications will result and proper heats will not be obtained.

The object of the present invention is to provide manually operatedcontrol means for the thermal operated switch which can be accuratelypreset when the iron is manufactured to give a predetermined adjustmentto the switch and thereafter remains set in the predetermined adjustedposition.

A still further object is an iron having a thermal operated switch whichmay be set to a predetermined setting for each desired type of materialupon which the iron is to be used and including control means foraccurately positioning the switch to that setting.

Another object is to provide an iron including a plurality ofindependently operable manual controls on the exterior of the ironoperable through common connecting mechanism within the iron to set thethermal switch at any predesired setting and wherein upon operation ofany one of the plurality of independent manual controls any previouslyset control is returned to an inoperative position.

Other objects will be in part obvious and in part pointed out more indetail hereinafter.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction,combination of elements, and arrangement of parts which will beexemplied in the construction hereafter set forth and the scope of theapplication of which will be indicated in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure l is a perspective view of an iron embodying the inventionherein;

Fig. 2 is a View with the structure of the iron partially in section toshow the control means and thermal switch;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view showing details of construction of thecontrol means and thermal switch;

Fig. 4 is an end sectional view also showing details of the controlmeans and thermal switch;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary plan view of the control means with the shell ofthe iron removed;

Fig. 6 is a perspective exploded view of the graduated lever of theactuating means and means for pivotally assembling it;

Fig. 6A is a perspective exploded view of one of the manual controlelements and associated parts;

Fig. 7 is a side view of another embodiment of the control means;

Fig. 8 is a sectional view taken on the line 8-8 of Fig. 7; and

Fig. 9 is a plan view of Fig. 7.

Referring to the drawings, the invention comprises generally anelectrically heated iron A having a thermal operated switch means B forcontrolling the temperature thereof, adjusting means C located withinthe iron for varying the setting of the switch means B, and manuallyoperable means D located'exterior of the shell for actuating theadjusting means, and including a plurality of independently operablepush buttons E. As indicated, the push button E may project through thetop of the iron for convenient manipulation, and each is adapted uponbeing depressed to give a predetermined setting to the switch means C,while simultaneously releasing any previously depressed button.

More particularly, the iron A has a sole plate I0, a shell I2, asuperdeck I4, and a handle I6. Positioned within a recess formed in thesole plate is a heating unit I8 underlying a thin cover plate I9 securedin place by clamping members 20. The details of construction and thespecific means for securing the iron structure together is shown inthecopending application of Howard H. Schott, Serial No. 357,217, illedSeptember 18, 1940, entitled Flat iron construction," and will not befurther described except when necessary to an understanding of theinvention herein.

Referring now t6 the thermal switch means C, it includes an operatingmember comprising a thermally responsive bimetallic strip 22 located inthe sole plate recess and having one end secured tothe sole plate bysuitable screws 24 and its other end 25 free to move upwardly uponapplicatio of heat thereto. Located in thepath of the mov ng end 28 ofthe strip 22 is a tongue 28 depending from one end of a pivoted U-shapedlever 30; said lever carrying at its other end an insulated contact 32adapted upon pivoting of lever l to be moved into and out of engagementwith a second contact 34 for To suspend the stop 48, the graduated lever52has formed therein a central depressed opening 82 into which thereextends radially opposed ears 84. The ears 84 are receivable in opposedgrooves 88 (see Figs. 3 and 4) of a collar 88 underlying plate 53 andinto which the stop 45 is threaded with its upper end projecting throughthe plate opening 82 to receive a securing nut 18. With the parts soconstructed, the spring 46 will also function through stop 45 tonormally hold the graduated lever 52 in a predetermined position. Thisposition may be set at the factory 1 by adjusting stop 45 in collar 66,and will thereafter remain set, whereby any pivoting of lever making andbreaking the circuit through the iron heating element I8.

As indicated,I the contact 34 is carried by, but

insulated from, a plate 88 secured forwardly.

on the sole plate and shell securing means 38 and rearwardly on -astandard, 'I'he plate 38 is further provided with a depending side armon which one end of an inverted U-shaped lever 42 is pivoted; said leverbeing pivotally connected at its other end to the contact carryingleverA 30. As indicated, the pivot 44 for the contact lever is locatedintermediate of the ends thereof, and the lever 38 ispositioned betweenthe depending side arms of -lever 42 to form y therewith a breakabletoggle. The toggle comprising the levers 30 and 42 is normallymaintained in straightened position by a spring 46 (see Fig. 3) havingone end secured to the contact carrying plate 38 and its other end tolever 30 intermediate of the pivot 44 and contact 32. In this manner,spring 48 will holdcontact 32 in engagement with contact 34, and uponany pivoting of lever 30 the spring` will always tend to return thecontact to closed position. It is evident, however, that in order' toobtain such pivoting the toggle must be broken and that by varying thespacing between the thermal element 22 and the tongue 28 of lever38 thecycle of making and breaking the circuit through the heating element maybe controlled and this in turn will control the temperature of the soleplate.

In accordance with the invention herein, adjustment of the thermalswitch is accomplished through the actuating means within the iron whichincludes a stop member so positioned that its lower nd is associatedwith the lever 42 above the tfe pivot 44, whereby any lowering of thestop 45 will break the pivot and likewise vary the adjustment betweenthe tongue 28 of lever 38 and the thermal element 22. The stop 45 is inturn vertically adjustable by operation of a graduatedlever 52. Morespecifically, the stop 45 is suspended from the lever 52, which levercomprises an elongated rectangular plate 53 having an upturned edge 54cut to provide six successively higher steps, designated 54a to 541,inclusive. The opposite edge 52 through the extent of any rgraduatedstep thereon will always result in a like adjustment of the thermalswitch.

To pivot the lever 52 downwardly, there is arranged'above same a platel2 having six projecting spring fingers 12a to 12j', inclusive; eachfinger overlying and having its free end extending beyond thecorresponding letter designated step of lever 52, whereby when thefinger is depressed vit will engage a corresponding step and pivot thelever 52 downwardly. To secure the ngers in proper relation to thesteps, the linger carrying plate 12 is secured to the lateral leg 14 ofan angle piece 'i5 having its depending leg 18 mounted on the side wall50 and also extending through slots cut in the tongues 56 of lever 52 tothus hold the lever 52 in assembled position.

The operation of any spring linger is accomplished by depressing anassociated manually operable element or push button D. As indicated.there are six push buttons, designated as 88a to 9012 inclusive. andeach push button cooperates with the correspondingly lettered springfinger and stop of the graduated lever 52, whereby when a button isdepressed the graduated lever 52 will be pivoted a predetermined amountas measured by the depth of the steps thereon. To obtain the cooperationbetween the push buttons and spring lingers, the lower end 9| of eachbutton has an inverted conical shape and at the base of the cone is agroove or shoulder 92 insertable between the split tip 93 of the springfingers. With the button so held, upon depressing same the spring fingerwill be fulcrumed at and joined with plate 10, and as the iinger extendsacross the stepped edge of lever 52, it will engage the underlying stepand cause a downward pivoting movement of the lever. 'I'he pivoting oflever 52 will also force the stop 45 downwardly to lower the togglepivot 44 and move tongue 28 of the contact lever 32 closer to thethermal element 22. It is thus obvious that the distance tongue 28 ismoved will depend upon which button is pushed and that the spacing soobtained will control the heat of the iron. In the embodimentillustrated, when the button a is depressed, a minimum movement oftongue 28 results and the period before the thermal element 22 contactsit will be a minimum, thus giving high heat and temperature. On theother hand, as each successive button is depressed, the lever 52 ispivoted through a greater distance, thus increasing the lowering of thetongue 28, resulting in a more rapid engagement with the element 22 andthus gradually stepping down the heat and temperature at each successivestage. In order to have an ofi position even when the iron is pluggedin, the pivotal movement obtained by the depressing of the button 90) issuch that the 4stop member 45 will lower the lever 42 to such an extentthat the tendency of the spring 43 to pivot the contact lever 32upwardly will cause the latter to bind against the lever 42 and preventclosing of the contacts 32 and 34, and thus the circuit through the ironwill remain open. The depressing of the button 90j will, in addition tocutting 01T the circuit, release all previously depressed buttons. Itthus becomes evident that ve predetermined ranges of heat may beobtained and that each setting will always be accurate inasmuch as thelever 52 will always be positively moved through a predetermined amountmeasured by the height of the step associated with the depressed button.In this way, al1 chances of approximate settings are eliminated, and, inorder to have a cutoff without disconnecting the iron, the sixth buttonis added yfor that purpose.

Means are further provided to maintain the switch in its last adjustedposition and maintaining the last depressed button in its depressedposition and also releasing any previously depress-ed button upondepressing another button. To accomplish this, there is provided (seeFigs. 2,

44, and 6A) a longitudinally extending holding lever 96 associated withthe manually operable elements. The lower edge of lever 96 has spaceddepending tongues 98 pivotally mounted in slots provided in a bracketextending laterally from and secured on the contact carrying plate 36.The top edge of lever 96 has an inwardly turned lip 91 normally engagingthe cones 9| of the push buttons 90 just above the tips thereof, and isnormally urged to such position by the vertical arms of a 4spring |02bearing against the side of the lever remote from the buttons; thehorizontal arm |04 of the spring being secured to plate 36.

With the lever 96 so held, it will be seen that upon depressing anybutton the cone 8| will cam lever 96 outwardly until the lip 91 alignswith the push button groove 92, whereupon Spring |02 will pivot the lipinto the groove and restrain the button and also hold the switch in itslast adjusted position. Simultaneously, any other depressed button willbe released, for in depressing one button the lip 91 will be moved outof the groove of a previously depressed button, whereupon the springnger associated therewith will raise the button to inoperative position.From this the operator will always know by the depressed button theheating condition of the iron. Referring new to Figs. '1 to 9, there isshown another type of means C for controlling the setting of the thermaloperated switch means. As the iron structure is the same as in theprevious embodiment, only such parts have been shown in these figures asare necessary for an understanding of the control means. Herein thegraduated lever llsgcomprises a plate I I2 provided on one edge withdownwardly turned tongues I I4 and at its other edge is turned upwardlyto provide six successive steps II4a'to ||4f, inclusive. The graduatedlever I IIJ is pivoted by positioning the depending tongues II4 in slots|I6 provided in a plate ||8 secured to the contact carrying plate 36. Asin the previous embodiment, the stop 45 is suspended on the graduatedlever ||0 intermediate of the side edges thereof and in like manner tothat previously described. Cooperating with the steps I|4a to ||4f are aplurality of levers |d to |20f, inclusive, which in this embodiment aredirectly connected to the push buttons |22a to |22f, inclusive. Thusupon the depression of any push button, the corresponding lettered leverand step of the graduated lever is simultaneously actuated.

Herein the push buttons |22 each includes an elongated stem |24 havingits lower end extending through an opening |26 provided in a plate |28secured to the plate ||8 and having their upper ends, just below themanually operable portion, extending through an opening |30 provided inthe base |32 of an inverted U-shaped bracket having its depending legssecured to the plate |28. As indicated, the levers |20a to |201' arepositioned on the stems |24 and are positioned immediately beneath thebracket base |32, and to hold the levers in uppermost position there ismounted on each stem a spiral spring |36 positioned between the leverand the bottom plate |28. As in the previous embodiment, upon depressionof any push button the. lever associated therewith will engage and pivotthe graduated lever a distance corresponding to the depth of the engagedstep, thus pivoting the stop 44 and varying the setting of the thermalswitch.

In order to maintain the buttons in their depressed position, there isprovided adjacent the lower end of the stems a groove |38 and a conicalportion |40, the Wall of which tapers upwardly and outwardly from thegroove |38. Cooperating with the groove |38 is a longitudinallyextending holding lever |42 having a vertical portion |44 provided witha slot |46 for pivotally mounting the lever on a tongue |48 extendingoutwardly from the plate |28. The holding lever |42 inclines downwardlyand inwardly from the lower edge of the vertical portion |44, and tomaintain the lowermost lip or edge |50 thereof in the pathof movement ofthe push button stems |24, there is provided a spring |52 having itsupper end abutting against the plate |32 and its lower end abuttingagainst the inner face of the holding lever |44 to iulcrum it inwardly.

With the parts so arranged, upon depressing any push button, the lowerend thereof will force the lip |50 of the holding lever outwardlyagainst the tension of the spring |52 until the lip is aligned with thegroove |38, whereupon the holding lever will be pivoted inwardly tosecure the push button in its depressed position. In like manner to thefirst embodiment, the depressing of any push button will release anypreviously depressed push button, for the lower end of a second pressedbutton will initially pivot the holdlng lever out of the groove of aprevious button, whereupon the spring |36 will urge the button upwardlyto its inoperative position.

From the foregoing it will be noted that in both embodiments thestructure is such that each manually operable control or push button isdepressable an equal amount, although a different setting of the thermalswitch is obtained upon the depressing of any button. Although but sixbuttons have been shown, it is apparent that the graduated lever in eachembodiment could have any desired number of steps and any desired numberof control push buttons could be associated therewith.

As many changes could be made in the above construction and manyapparently widely different embodiments of this invention Could be madewithout departing from the scope thereof, it is intended that all mattercontained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawingsshall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

It is also to be understood that the language used in the followingclaims is intended to cover all of the generic and specic features ofthe invention herein described and all statements of the scope oi' theinvention which, as a matter of language, might be said to i'alltherebetween.

We claim as our invention:

1. In an electric iron, thermal responsive means, a switch actuated bysaid thermal responsive means, means for adjusting said switch relativeto said thermal responsive means and comprising a plurality ofindependently operable manual control elements exterior of the iron, andmeans interior of the iron operable upon the operation of any one ofsaid elements to adjust said switch.

2. In an electric iron, thermal responsive means, a switch actuated bysaid thermal responsive means, means for adjusting said switch relativeto said thermal responsive means and comprising a plurality ofindependently operable manual control elements exterior ofthe iron,means interior of the iron operable upon the operation of any one ofsaid elements to adjust said switch, and means operable by the operatedcontrol element for restraining said switch in adjusted position.

3. In an electric iron having a thermal operated adjustable switch,means for adjusting said switch comprising a plurality of independentlyoperable manual control elements on the exterior of the iron, meansinterior of the iron operable upon the operation of any one of saidelements to adjust said switch, and means operable upon the operation ofany one of said elements for releasing any previously operated elementfor restraining the last operated element and switch means in adjustedposition.

4. In an electric iron having a thermal operated adjustable switch, aplurality of independently operable manual control elements on theexterior oi' the iron, a graduated lever pivotally mounted within theiron and adapted upon pivotal movement to adjust said switch, andcooperating means between each of said elements and said graduated leverfor pivoting said graduated lever upon manipulation oi any one of saidelements.

5. In an electric iron, thermal responsive means, a switch actuated bysaid means, means for adjusting said switch relative to said thermalresponsive means and comprising a graduated lever pivotally mounted insaid iron, means interconnecting said lever and said switch, wherebypivotal movement of said lever will adjust said switch, and meansexterior of the iron ior pivoting said lever through a predesired rangeof movement.

6. vIn an electric iron having a thermal operated adjustable switch, alever pivotally mounted in said iron, means interconnecting said leverand said switch, whereby upon pivoting of the lever the switch will beadjusted, a plurality of steps on said lever, a plurality of adjustingelements exterior of the iron, each of said elements cooperating withone of the steps on said lever, whereby upon operation of any oneelement said lever is pivoted through a predetermined degree to adjustsaid switch.

'1. In an electric iron, thermal responsive means, a switch, means foradjusting said switch relative to said thermal responsive means andcomprising a plurality of independent control elements exterior of theiron, and means operable upon operation of any selected elements toadjust said switch t a corresponding selected adjustment.

8. In an electric iron, thermal responsive means, a switch actuated bysaid thermal responsive means, and means for adjusting said switchrelative to said thermal responsive means and including a memberassociated with said switch for changing the adjustment thereof, aplurality of independently operable manual control elements exterior ofthe iron, and means connecting each of said elements with said adjustingmember, the means connecting any one element with said adjusting memberhaving a different range of movement than the means connecting any otherelement to said member.

9. In an electric iron, a thermal operated switch, a member associatedwith said switch, a pivoted lever from which said adjusting member issuspended, a plurality of graduated steps provided on said lever, andmeansexterior of the iron and comprising a plurality of independentlyoperable manual control means, each of said means cooperating with oneof the steps of the lever, whereby upon operation of vany selectedelement said switch is given a predetermined adjustment.

10. In an electric iron, thermal responsive means, a switch actuated bysaid thermal responsive means, means for adjusting said switch relativeto said thermal responsive means comprising a plurality of independentlyoperable manual control elements exterior of the iron, common meansinterior of the iron operable upon operation of any one of said elementsto adjust said switch, and means intermediate each control element andsaid common means whereby a predetermined iixed adjustment will beobtained upon operation of any selected element.

11. An electric iron, thermal responsive means, a switch actuated bysaid thermal responsive means, and means for adjusting said switchrelative to said thermal responsive means and comprising a plurality ofindependently operable manual control elements exterior of said iron foradjusting said switch, and means intermediate oi' each control elementand said switch for providing a different switch adjustment for each ofsaid control elements.

12. In an electric iron, thermal responsive means, a switch operated bysaid thermal responsive means, means for adjusting said switch relativeto said thermal responsive means and comprising, a plurality ofindependently operable control elements exterior of the iron, and meansinterconnecting each element with said adjusting means for adjustingsame through a difierent range of movement.

13. In an electric iron, thermal responsive means, a switch actuated bysaid thermal responsive means, and means for adjusting said switchrelative to said thermal responsive means and comprising a graduatedlever for adjusting said switch to a plurality of different positionscorresponding to the number of graduations on said lever, and means foroperating the lever at any selected graduations.

14. In an electric iron, a thermal operated adjustable switch, a memberassociated with said` switch for adjusting same, a pivoted levercarrying said adjusting member, said lever including a plurality ofgraduatedsteps, a plurality of independent manually controlled elementsexterior oi' the iron and equal in number to the graduated steps, andmeans connecting each element with an associated step, whereby uponoperation of a selected element it will pivot the lever to lower saidadjustment member through a range corresponding to the associated step.

15. In an electric iron, a thermal operated adjustable switch, a memberassociated with said switch for adjusting same, a pivoted lever carryingsaid adjusting member, said lever including a plurality of graduatedsteps, a plurality of independent manually controlled elements exteriorof the iron and equal in number to the graduated steps, means connectingeach element with an associated step whereby upon operation of aselected element it will pivot the lever to lower said adjustment memberthrough a range corresponding to the associated step, and meansoperative upon the operation of any one of said control elements torestrain said lever and control element in adjusted position.

16. In an electric iron, a thermal operated switch, a member associatedwith said switch for adjusting same, a pivoted lever for carrying saidmember, a push button for operating said lever, means for restrainingsaid push button and lever in depressed position, a second push buttonadapted upon being depressed to move said lever through a greater rangeof movement than said previous push button, and means carried by saidpush button for releasing said restraining means from said iirst pushbutton upon depression of the second push button, and for restrainingsaid second push button, and spring means for returning said rst pushbutton to normal position.'

17. In an electric iron, a thermal operated adjustable switch, means foradjusting said switch,

a pair of push buttons exterior of the iron, means connecting one ofsaid push buttons to said adjusting means for moving it through apredetermined range of movement, means connecting the second push buttonto said adjusting means for moving it through a greater range ofmovement, means operative upon actuation of either of said push buttonsto restrain same in actuated position, and means operative uponactuation of either of said push buttons to release the previouslyactuated push button.

18. In an electric iron, a thermal operated adjustable switch, means foradjusting said switch, a pair of push buttons operable from the exteriorof the iron, means connecting one of said push buttons to said adjustingmeans' for moving it through a predetermined range of movement, andmeans connecting the second push button to said adjusting means formoving it through a greater predetermined range of movement.

19. In an electric iron, thermal responsive means movable through apredetermined range of movement, a switch including a member lying inthe path of movement of said thermal responsive means and adapted to beengaged thereby to open said switch, and a plurality of independentlyoperable means exterior of the iron operatively connected to said memberfor adjusting said member to diierent positions in the path of movementof said thermal responsive means.

NILS T. ALMQUIST. PAUL J. KIRCHER.

